Good afternoon, Minister. Thank you for joining us today.
We appreciate the effort you made to start your opening remarks in French. It was not easy, but you’ll get better with practice.
I’ll ask some quick questions. Please keep your answers short.
Two days ago, the Union des producteurs agricoles de Lanaudière issued a public statement calling on the government to provide more financial support for agriculture. While some countries dedicate an average of approximately 2% of their budgets to agriculture, Canada commits less than 1% of its budget to the sector.
Will you have some good news for us on November 4? Have you talked to your colleague the Minister of Finance to tell him about the importance of the agriculture and agri-food sector?